I always bring a book. A real book, hardcovered and old time-y...not my kindle, because f*ck it... if I'm eating alone I want to look snobby and pretentious like maybe I'm too important to have a dinner date.

optikeye:DrunkenYodaZen: The only time I feel awkward when dining alone is when the hostess is trying to get me to sit at the bar even though the place is relatively empty.

WTF? The bar is BEST place for dining alone. You can chat with the bartender, get more drinks more quickly; and there might be a few other people at the bar area you speak with.

I agree. A few months ago I was at a Chili's restaurant eating at the bar and this nice guy--about my age, relatively nice--started chatting me up and bought me a couple of margaritas. When we finished eating, we went back to his place and...

LaurenAguilera:I always bring a book. A real book, hardcovered and old time-y...not my kindle, because f*ck it... if I'm eating alone I want to look snobby and pretentious like maybe I'm too important to have a dinner date.

I sometimes being my tablet and get onto the restaurant's wireless network to watch the news or something. Always considerate, though sqq head phones are a must

maram500:LaurenAguilera: I always bring a book. A real book, hardcovered and old time-y...not my kindle, because f*ck it... if I'm eating alone I want to look snobby and pretentious like maybe I'm too important to have a dinner date.

I sometimes being my tablet and get onto the restaurant's wireless network to watch the news or something. Always considerate, though sqq head phones are a must

DrunkenYodaZen:The only time I feel awkward when dining alone is when the hostess is trying to get me to sit at the bar even though the place is relatively empty.

i've never had that happen

i've eaten alone many times...only times i've eaten at the bar (or at a counter, like at waffle house) were totally my choice. and never has my dine-alone time been due to a social awkwardness, either...sometimes it's because my wife is out of town, sometimes it's because i want to eat food that my family won't eat (middle eastern, etc). and even when i was single, i would go out sometimes instead of getting take out, just because.

Then you get in to a conversation with the stuffed animal. Maybe you make a connection. Maybe there's some chemistry. There's no denying it. This stuffie and you are really connecting. So, you slide your chair around the table so the conversation can get a little more personal. Stre in to those big, button eyes. Order some wine. Maybe touch stuffie's arm. Oh that's soft. Stuffie aint saying "no" and those big button eyes tell you she's just as in to this as you are. "Oh you got something on your cute cheek. Let me get that for you." Fluffy paw upon your chest. Oh my.

So you go in for the kiss and next thing you know, you're in the alley and the bus boys are kicking in your kidneys. You'll be pissing blood for a week, but it was worth it. You try to get to see stuffie again but the maitre d has your number on his shiat list and won't take a reservation from you no matter hard you try. Get a throwaway phone, try an accent "I vould like to get table zee-ix wit zee be-a-uteeful blue bear-a for a zingle." "Harry, you call here again and I'll call the cops. Get help. You need it."

Stuffie! I've thrown a thousand baseballs at a hundred milk bottles. The plush toys I win are nothing compared to you. You understand me! You get me! I wait in the alley every night hoping someone will spill wine on you and the restaurant throws you out. Even with the wine of another upon you, you are still mine as I am yours. My life is just a boring repetition of race car racing, Presidential brain surgeries, spaceship flying and massive wealth gathering without you!

Is this not Big Bang Theory material? If a person is actually quite socially awkward then this would make them ever more comfortable, certainly. Myself, and probably for most people, it would end up starting conversations.

By the way, this is the second thread in as many days that suggests that those of us who are Alone and who go to restaurants Alone are supposed to feel BAD about it. Has it ever occurred to Society In General that there are some people who simply function better when they're not with other people? We are doing just fine by ourselves and we don't need your shaming or your pity.

FLMountainMan:I used to eat out for every meal and one or two of them was always alone. Never saw the big deal in it. Brought a book to read, relaxed, enjoyed myself. I usually preferred it.

Same here. I traveled for my job so I've eaten thousands of dinners solo. I have a book on me wherever I go (smartphones have really made this easier) so being alone for a meal has never been any big deal.

Pants full of macaroni!!:By the way, this is the second thread in as many days that suggests that those of us who are Alone and who go to restaurants Alone are supposed to feel BAD about it. Has it ever occurred to Society In General that there are some people who simply function better when they're not with other people? We are doing just fine by ourselves and we don't need your shaming or your pity.

I think it's that dining alone in public makes many people uncomfortable and they try not to do it. So, when they see someone dining alone they assume that person is uncomfortable too.

The number of people who prefer to dine alone appears to be a small minority so it's not really surprising if those people are not well understood by the majority.

People are also naturally suspicious of loners who shun the company of other humans. As social animals the "loners' are most likely to be the dangerous or insane ones. I am NOT saying all who eat alone are insane or dangerous, but instinct does make some people suspicious around such a person.

Some people enjoy talking to themselves out loud to figure things out. However most people will NOT sit next to that person on the bus given a choice.

I order a table for two. Two drinks, appetizer and two meals. Then I tell the waitstaff that my supermodel girlfriend is late. Probably held up at the Sport Illustrated photo shoot. Gotta be careful with those thong photos when it comes to SI, you know. After I eat, I flip open my phone and have an imaginary fight with my imaginary super model girlfriend: "Your career?! What about us?! Oh, you say you do but you're not here! You're probably standing topless with a micro bikini bottom and your perfect breasts exposed for all the world to see. You don't care about me! You don't care about us!"

Then, I either run crying in to the men's room where I climb out a window or, if it's a fancy place like IHOP, I get her meal to go, leave a generous tip and storm out in a huff and sob quietly while waiting for the bus.

Ker_Thwap:I dine out alone when I've done a poor job of meal planning, have an urge for some difficult to cook meal, am away from home, and basically when I'm hungry. I'm content with my solitude.

Me too. I have no issue dining alone. Most of the time it's because of that hard to cook/requires pricey ingredients that I will not use all of/I just don't want to make the mess the dish requires thing.

If I wanted to dine with a giant silent partner, I could always go out to dinner with my ex.